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ANO. 751,263.' 1 ATE1W3E1JV PEB. 2, A1904.

' G. L. GORGQRAN s; G. A. DOBYNB. PRESSER BAR AGTUATING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED PBILZO, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. CORCORAN AND GEORGE A. DOBYNE, -OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHAMPION SHOE MACHINERYCOMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORA- TION OE MISSOURI.

PRESYSEF-BAR-ACTUATING MECHANISNI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,263, dated February2, 1904. Application led February Z0, 1903. Serial No. 144,319. (NoInodel.)

T o all whom it may concern.'

skilled in the art to which it appertains lto make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation.

presser-bar being shown nvsection. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly insection; and Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, looking from theleft of Fig. 1.

Our invention relates to improvements in mechanIsIn for actuatingpresser-bars, being` particularly applicable in connection-with sew-'ing-machines, although in no wise limited to such use. l

Our obj ect is to provide means whereby the presser-bar can be clampedand elevated and then released in Order to permit the presserfoot toreturn Lto its position upon thework.

To this end and also to improve generally upon mechanism of thecharacter indicated our invention consists in the various mattershereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings we haveA shown the invention as applied inconnection with a sewing-machine, only so much of the sewing-machinebeing illustrated as is neces- `sary to enable the present invention tobe thoroughly understood. v

In said drawings, A indicates the supporting-standard of the machine,and -3 is ahead upon said standard, by which head the presserbar 10 issupported and in which the same is guided in its reciprocations, andspring 11 coiled about said presser-bar and lying between some suitableportion of the machine-head and a collar 12 upon said bar serving toyieldingly hold the bar with its presser-foot in work-en- Fig. 2 is atop y plan view on about the line 2 2 of Fig. l, the

gaging position and also serving to return the presser-barV to itsposition with its foot in engagement with the work after said bar hasbeen elevated and released. The presser-foot E is secured to the bar inany suitable manner.

C represents the work-table,between which and the presser-foot the workis clampedin a `welll-{understood manner, and W'indicates the wor Arock-shaft 30, suitably supported on the ing-bar-engaging surfacef37preferably conforms to the said cam-surface 35.v The upper Yportion ofsaid block isfl preferably provided with overhanging edges 38,which-rest upon the arms of the bail and also upon the lifting-bar,

' whereby said block is supported, and extending from the lower portionof said block and upon the side of the pivotalcenter of the liftingbaropposite that upon' which the inner end of said bar lies is a stop orrest 39, the liftingbar when in its releasing position coming to restbetween the said stop 39 and the overhanging lip 38, whereby thedownward movement of the free end of the lifting-bar about its pivot islimited. I The bail 33 normally rests uponsome suitable portion, as 4.0,of the head 3. v

Depending from the rock-arm 31 is an arm 41, which carries a projection42, (preferably a roller,) lying under and adapted-at certain timestoengage the under surface of the outer portion of said lifting-bar 34,while also depending from the rock-arm 31 is a pivoted arm 4:3, whichhas a-lower angular extension 44, provided with a member, preferably anadjustable set pin or screw 45,. lying below and in line with the block36. The arm 43 is preferably held in its desired position, engaging thepresserbar in order to be guided thereby, by a spring 46, connected tosaid arm and to the rock-arm 31. As the rockarm rises the roller 42engages the lifting-bar 34, and as it rocks said lifting-bar about itspivot the presser-bar is clamped between the bail and the block 36,whereby in the further upward rocking of said rock arm 31 thepresser-bar is lifted in a manner which will be apparent. Thereleasing-arm 43 is farther from the center of oscillation of therock-arm 31 than is the locking-arm 41, whereby for the same amount ofmovement of the rockarm 31 the releasing-arm 43 travels a greaterdistance than does the locking-arm 41. Thus at the desired point in theupward movement of the rock-arm 31 the screw or pin 45 engages the block36, (preferably upon an inclined surface 47 and vthus lifts the saidblock and releases the presser-bar, whereupon the spring 11 forces thepresser-bar downwardly.

By reason of the construction above described when the parts are innormal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the presser-foot bears upon thework and is held against the same by the spring 11, the presser-barbeing, however, not engaged by the clamp, so that said bar is free toyield, and thus accommodate itself to inequalities in the thickness ofthe work. The lifting-bar 34 is so held by the block 36 that the outerend of said bar cannot fall, and thus tend to wedge the block 36 againstthe presserbar when the parts are in normal position. When, however, itis desired to lift the presserbar, said bar is firmly clamped andelevated.

The releasing mechanism is extremely simple and is positive in itsoperation, it being possible to adjust the releasing-screw 45, and thusvary the time at which the presser-bar is released in order to suit theconvenience of the operator. The releasing-arm is properly guided by thepresser-bar itself, thus avoiding the use of additional parts, and saidreleasing-arm can swing about its pivot in order to prevent binding ofthe parts. Furthermore, as the screw 45 engages a surface of the block36, which is inclined away from the engaging end of the screw and towardthe presser bar, the said screw when releasing the clamp tends to movethe block 36 away from the presser-bar, and thus prevents said blockfrom binding upon the presser-bar as said bar descends.

Te are aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of our device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- l. In a sewing-machine, the combinationwith a 'presser-bar and its worl-e'rlgaging presserfoot, of a clampcooperating with said presserbar, clamp-actuating means for throwingsaid clamp into clamping position and moving the same to elevate saidpresser-foot, and releasing mechanism supplementary to saidclampactuating means for automatically throwing said clamp intoreleasing position while said clamp-actuating means is in position tohold said clamp in clamping position; substantially as described.

2. In a se\ving-machine,the combination with a presser-bar and itswork-engaging presserfoot, of a clamp cooperating with said presserbarand including a movable clamping member, clamp-actuating means forthrowing said clamp into clamping position and moving the same toelevate said presser-foot, and a releasing part supplementaryI to saidclamp-actuating means and adapted to engage said clamping member duringits said movement and thus throw the same from clamping position;substantially as described.

3. The combination with a presser-bar, of clamping members cooperatingwith the same, a movable element, means whereby, in the ymovement ofsaid element, said clamping members are caused to clamp saidpresser-bar, and a releasing part supplementary to said. means, saidreleasing part being supported directly upon and carried by said movableelement and adapted in the movement of the same to engage one of saidclamping members and move the latter out of clamping position;substantially as described.

4. The combination with a presser-bar, of clamping members cooperatingtherewith, a clamp-actuating part connected to said clamping members, arock-arm adapted in its movement to engage and move said clamp-actuatingpart, whereby, in the movement of said rock-arm, said clamping membersare actuated to clamp said presser-bar, and a releasing partsupplementary to said clamp-actuating part, said releasing part beingsupported directly upon and carried by said rock-arm and adapted toeng'age one of said clamping members to cause the latter to release saidpresser-bar; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a presser-bar, of clamping members cooperating'therewith, a clamp-actuating part connected to said clamping members, arock-arm adapted in its move- Inent to engage and move saidclamp-actuating part, whereby, in the movement of said rock-arm, saidclamping members are actuated to clamp said presser-bar, and a releasingpart supplementary to said clamp-actuating part, said releasing partbeing supported directly upon and carried by said rock-arm and adaptedto engage one of said clamping members to cause the latter to releasesaid presser-bar, said rock-arm having engagement with saidclamp-actuating part at a point intermediate said releasing part and theaxis of IIO oscillation of said rock-arm; substantially as described. Y

6. The combination'with a presser-bar, of clamping members cooperatingtherewith, a clamp-actuating part connected to said clamping members, arock-arm adapted in its move'- ment to'engage and move saidclamp-actuating part, whereby, in the movement of said rockarm, saidclamping members are actuated to clamp said presser-bar, and areleasing-arm supplementary to said clamp-actuating part and pivotallysupported directly upon said rock-arm; substantially as described.

7. The combination with a presser-bar, of clamping members cooperatingtherewith, a

rock-arm having engagement with a part connected to said clampingmembers for causing them to engage said bar, and a releasing-armpivotally supported upon said rock-arm and having its free end inengagement with said presser-bar; substantially as described.

8. The combination with a presser-bar, of a bail about said bar, alifting-bar pivotally supported upon said bail, a clamping-blockintermediate the inner end of said lifting-bar and said presser-bar, arock-arm, a releasing device supported directly upon said rock-arm, anda part upon said rocl-arm intermediate its axis of oscillation and saidreleasing device and adapted .to engage said lifting-bar; substantiallyas described.

9. The combination with a presser-bar, of a bail about said bar, alifting-bar pivotally supported upon said bail, a clamping-blockintermediate the inner end of said lifting-bar and said presser-bar, arock-arm, a releasing-arm pivotally supported directly upon saidrockarm, and a part upon said rock-arm intermediate its axis ofoscillation and said releasingarma'nd adapted to engage said liftingbar;substantially as described.

10. `The combination with a presser-bar, of clamping members coperatingtherewith, a

vrock-arm having engagement with a part connected to said clampingmembers for causing them to engage said presser-bar, a releasing'- armpivotally supported upon said rock-arm and engaging a guide-surface, andmeans for holding said releasing arm under tension against its saidguidesurface; substantially as described.

ll. The combination with a presser-bar, of clamping members cooperatingtherewith, a rock-arm having engagement with a part connected to saidclamping members for causing them to engage said bar, a releasing-armpivotally supported upon said rock-arm and having its free end guided bysaid presser-bar, and a spring connected to said releasing-arm and saidrock-arm for holding said releasing-arm against said presser-bar;substantially as described.

12. The combination with a presser-bar, of

4clamping members coperating therewith,

means for operating said clamping members, and a releasing memberadapted to enter between said bar and a portion of one of said clampingmembers and to engage the latter, the engaging surface of one of saidparts being inclined; substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof we hereunto aliix our signatures, inthe presence oftwo witnesses, this th day of January, 1903.

GEORGE L. CORCORAN. GEORGE A. DOBYNE. Witnesses:

GALEs P. MOORE, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

